


You Can't Help Me

by StrawRopeGhost



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Attempted Murder, College, F/F, First Kiss, Human K1-B0 (Dangan Ronpa), Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Incest, Kitsune!Kiyo, M/M, Manipulation, Miyadera has no rights, Murder, Shinguji Korekiyo's Sister Being an Asshole, Slow Burn, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:00:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27156286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawRopeGhost/pseuds/StrawRopeGhost
Summary: There's a new student attending Hope's Peak College. He has long hair, is always wearing a mask, and had the most unusual golden eyes. Well, that's because he's a kitsune. He's come to study people, their strengths and weaknesses. Rantaro Amami, on the other hand, is desperate to get to know him.Problem is, Kiyo is here for a soul for his sister, but Rantaro is far too interesting for him to get the job done.Edit: this is song based. Go look up "Honest" by Nico Collins.!!On Hold: I'm not as hyperfixated on this fic as I used to be, but I'm not abandoning it so don't worry.
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Shinguji Korekiyo, Chabashira Tenko/Yumeno Himiko, Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is mostly from Kiyo's point of view, so the fact that he's a kitsune and his home life is going to be thrown out there very quickly.

It was half way into the fall semester. Rantaro felt the cold breeze blowing through his hair as he ran up to the group of people in front of the study hall. Kaede, his long time friend, was the first to acknowledge him. The group in front of him was made up of Kaede, Ryoma, Shuichi, and Kokichi, who had his arms wrapped around Shuichi's waist. The two had been dating for some time, and Kokichi liked PDA. Rantaro smiled at them before turning his attention elsewhere. A tall male with long hair was making his way toward the building. Rantaro hadn't seen him before, he was so strange looking. He noticed the mask the other was wearing. _Was he sick? Is that why he enrolled late?_ It didn't take long for Kokichi to notice. 

"What a weirdo," he said. The stranger looked in their direction, as if he heard them, but he didn't pay them any attention, really. More like, he didn't say anything, just kept walking. Shuichi thumped the shorter boy on the head. 

The boy with the long hair reached for the door, but turned around to the sound of footsteps on the concrete behind him. It was Rantaro, being the energetic person he was. He had to get to know everyone, especially when they're new. Up close, he could see the stranger was holding some books about anthropology and human anatomy. That and how his eyes looked. They were strange but nearly captivating in a way. A beautiful, inhuman gold. 

"May I help you?" he asked. The stranger's voice was soft, but a bit dry and raspy, as if he hadn't spoken in a while. It wasn't until he spoke that Rantaro realized he was staring. 

"Oh- Sorry. Amami. Rantaro, Amami. I haven't seen you here before and wondered if you needed help."

The stranger stared at him. "Korekiyo, Shinguji," he replied softly. Maybe he was sick. "I don't need help but thank you for the offer." 

He was quiet and straight to the point. He made no effort to sugarcoat his words like some people. Korekiyo was formal and polite, or so he seemed to be. He turned towards the door again.

"UHM- Anthropology? Maybe we could talk about it sometime?" 

Korekiyo nodded. "Humanity is beautiful, is it not?" He said before entering the building. He was weird, but that made Rantaro even more determined to talk to him. 

Though, that conversation was awkward. He prayed that he hadn't come off as desperate. Kokichi ran up behind him and jabbed him in the side with a slim finger, all the while laughing at the green-haired boy. Kaede walked up behind him, smiling. 

"Who was that.?" she asked. 

Rantaro shrugged. "Said his name was Korekiyo."

_Apologize._

Korekiyo slapped himself out of his thoughts. Stupid. His face made no indication of intrusive thoughts, or any thoughts at all. He just kept walking past staring students without saying a word. Was it the mask? Or the bandages around his arms? Korekiyo didn't want to be here. He'd rather be at home with his sister. He liked to people watch, sure, but when he became the one that was watched, it made him uncomfortable. Like they were looking to hurt him. _Come on, apologize._ He shook his head. _I'm doing this for you,_ he thought. The bandages on his arms rubbed at his skin uncomfortably, though he convinced himself that it was just the pressure of being stared down. 

_Sister is so sick, yet I'm here attending school. But that's what she wanted. She wants me here. She needs me here, she doesn't like it, but she needs it._ Korekiyo had always been able to hide his tail well, but now it felt like a challenge. Creatures like him didn't belong among humans. He swiped his tongue across the small fangs inside his mouth. _You shouldn't be interested in playing with your food, Korekiyo._ He enjoyed watching humans, learning their customs, traditions, and cultural differences. Maybe he could make the most of being here, though he was only here for one reason. Food for his sister. 

Korekiyo thought back to her frail form. How sick she was. She couldn't hunt for herself anymore and she was only getting weaker. The thought of bringing her to a human doctor crossed his mind but what if they discovered their unusual secret? They'd both die. A soul would cure her that's why he was here. But then there were people like Rantaro, who, off the bat, was trying to get to know him. Poor, unfortunate Rantaro. Though, Kiyo really didn't want to steal a soul and his hesitance made his sister angry. Korekiyo sat in one of the chairs in the lecture hall, somewhere in the back towards one of the corners. He looked outside at the cloudy skies. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Rantaro and two other people walking through the door. He didn't know their names and he didn't care. Instead, he pulled out a journal and began writing. The chair next to him shortly became occupied by Rantaro. "What are you writing?"

"Observations. Both inside and outside of the classroom," he said. Why did it matter? This was temporary. As soon as Korekiyo could get his sister well, he'd disappear, never to be seen in this form again. He looked over to seen the green-haired boy sitting backwards in the chair. 

"So talk to me about anthropology? What got you interested in it?"

"I just find the differences between people and cultures to be interesting. Sister likes it."

"You have a sister?"

He slipped up. "Yes. Unfortunately, she is sick, so she won't be here." 

"I'm sorry. Hope she gets better. I have several sisters, myself, but they've either graduated or they're too young for college." 

Korekiyo felt an ache in his stomach now. Rantaro was no longer on his victims list, granted he had been prior to this knowledge. 

"So... Tell me more about your interests?"

* * *

Korekiyo felt drained by the end of the day. Books in hand, he didn't even bother saying goodbye to Rantaro, despite the long conversation they had. He simply waved and made his way off campus. He could feel Rantaro's friends staring at him from a distance, probably asking what was up with him. None of it mattered, though. He had no intention of getting to know them. Building relations would slow him down and make it harder to leave. Once he was a decent length away, making his way to an old town, he moved away from the sidewalk and up into the woods. Dropping his books in a log, Korekiyo continued walking through the woods until he came to a crumbly stone staircase that lead to an abandoned shrine. Nobody bothered coming into these woods on account that it was rumored to be haunted. 

An assumption that was technically correct. 

The shrine was made up of stone lanterns that were mostly weathered away, along with a dark wooden house that was covered in vines and moss. The house constantly looked damp but inside it was quite dry and warm. He walked in through the open sliding door that was so broken down and overgrown that it no longer functioned. They'd lived here for around a year, undisturbed. A pale face peaked around the corner of one of the rooms. 

"You are late. Apologize."

"I'm sorry, dear sister."

He didn't even hesitate anymore. He knew he was in the wrong whenever his sister told him to apologize. He looked up at the loft of the house. It wasn't so much a loft, it was a second floor with a big hole in it from years of neglect. The woman dropped on all fours and Korekiyo watched as her face elongated into a snout, her body shifting its form until she looked like an animal. A beast. A kitsune like him. Korekiyo allowed himself to fall to his knees, his face, back, and hands morphing. Shapeshifting no longer hurt nor drained him. His sister approached him and swiftly bit down on the scruff of his neck, much to Korekiyo's annoyance. But if she'd done it, he deserved it, right? 

"Do not ever keep me waiting this long again," she hissed. She hadn't drawn blood but it still hurt. 

_He wasn't that late, was he? Surely it wasn't that late._ "I'm sorry," was all he had to say. Korekiyo made his way up the broken wooden stairs, into the loft. He laid down by one of the windows, his long fur spreading out on the wood below him, his tail curling around his long legs. Korekiyo rested his head on his paws and eventually let sleep consume him. 

He hated thinking this way, but Rantaro was the last thought in his mind. _So interesting. I want to speak with him more._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rantaro and Korekiyo bond, Miyadera complains about it. Korekiyo sees how the world paints kitsunes and sets his sights on Tenko. 
> 
> Also I'm gonna dropkick Kork's sister because ewwww....

The back or Korekiyo's neck was sore when he woke up the next morning. Frankly, he didn't really feel like moving around, but he knew he had to. Sister was already awake, so he sat up and went downstairs, careful to avoid stepping on loose spots or holes in the wood. By the time he got to the bottom, he had let his human form take over. His sister hobbled over to him, brushing her finger's through Korekiyo's hair before touching his cheek. He leaned into the touch. 

"You need to rest. Lay down." 

She smiled, hobbling back to her room with his help. Sick, yes, but completely bedridden, no. Korekiyo wondered if it'd ever get to that point. Still, he recommended she remain 'human' in case anyone were to ever actually come here. He thought back to the group of teens he scared out of the woods. Teens who went in there as a dare, probably. Kiyo turned to leave but his sister pulled him down into a tight hug that he didn't bother fighting. _She loves me,_ he thought. He didn't know what else to think. Once she let go, Korekiyo stood. "I'll be home later, dear sister." 

After what seemed like almost an hour, Korekiyo headed down the crumbly steps of the shrine and towards the log where he kept his belongings. Adjusting his mask, he reached in, pulled out a couple of books, and headed towards the street. He wasn't overly fond of the cold feeling in the air. He was hardly dressed for fall, wearing the school uniform and nothing more, aside from bandaged arms and a masked face. Korekiyo didn't despise the cold, he just preferred to be warm. It was a miracle he was even able to get into the college. Oh well, not like he was going to be there much longer anyway. 

* * *

Rantaro beckoning for Korekiyo to come talk to his friends was the last thing on his mind. He didn't move from his seat and instead tried to hide his face behind his hair without making it look obvious. He heard a small snort and when he turned his head he could see a short boy with purple-black hair trying to contain his laughter. A blonde girl with a short skirt started calling the boy names but Korekiyo soon turned his attention back to Rantaro. The green-haired boy smiled and sat next to him, as he had the day before. "Forgot you were shy," he grinned. Normally Rantaro would have thrown an arm around the other, but Kiyo didn't look like the kind of person who would appreciate it. 

"I prefer to observe more than engage," he said calmly. 

"Understandable," he kept the smile. Korekiyo found it oddly charming, though he never let that on. No, that was a thought that could stay in the back of his mind. "Well," Amami continued to speak. "Over there are Shuichi, Kokichi, Miu, and Kaede. Just in case you ever need to ask them something."

Kiyo nodded. Talking to Rantaro was rather refreshing. It was different from talking to his sister, but he liked it. _Humans are stupid. Humans are foolish. Humans are selfish._ But isn't our kind selfish too? Rantaro resuming his one-sided conversation snapped him out of his thoughts. 

"Figured since you're going to be going here, I could introduce you to my friends." 

Korekiyo thought to himself quietly. Would sister allow this? Being as curious as he was, surely this would help him see the more intimate side of humanity. Slowly, and reluctantly, Kiyo nodded. Rantaro smiled, softly grabbing Kiyo's hand an helping him out of his seat. At first, he couldn't help but feel disgusted. But the warmth of his hand, he could feel, even through the thin bandages. Humans were so warm, so expressive. No wonder his sister required a human soul. Kaede was the first to speak. 

"Hello, I'm Kaede Akamatsu. Who's this, Rantaro?" 

"This is Kiyo," he smiled. 

_The boy you all probably gawked at yesterday,_ Kiyo hissed to himself. " _Korekiyo._ Korekiyo Shinguji," he said. Kaede offered her hand out for him to shake. He looked at her, not quite sure what to do. He slowly took her hand and shook it. All of a sudden, the door burst open, nearly scaring Kiyo out of his skin to the point his tail almost poofed into existence. It took a lot of work just to keep his tail, or tails hidden, as he was still young for a kitsune. A girl with two strange looking braids walked in, followed by a shorter girl with red hair. 

"Sorry I'm late everyone. Who's... This?" 

Kiyo fixed his golden eyes on her. She looked threatening but at the same time, compassionate. He could sense the passion radiating from her aura but he chose not to comment. 

"This is Rantaro's friend, or acquaintance," Kaede said. "This is Tenko, and behind her is Himiko." 

Tenko wrapped an arm around Himiko, almost protectively. Korekiyo, who, at this point, had had enough, nodded, said it was nice to meet them, then returned to his seat. Rantaro rolled his eyes and sat with him. 

"You told me you'd tell me about some of your research. What did you learn by studying people?"

"Did I? I suppose I did." He wanted to say that he didn't understand Rantaro's interest, but truly, he did. Rantaro had told him he loved travelling, but eventually settled down to attend college. Anthropology and travel certainly do go hand in hand, don't they? He himself travelled quite a bit but not to the extent Amami had. "Throughout my work, I've come to find beauty in everything. Different humans find beauty in different things, whether it be other people, other living things, nature. I've come to understand every concept of what humans find beautiful. I've accepted all of them."

Rantaro smiled. "Each culture is so different. Unique. Sadly I never had time to truly experience things like that, and I've been all over the world. How about you?"

"I've never left Japan. Though, there are plenty of things to do around here. Truthfully I may not stick around long." He thought it'd be better just to get the brutal honesty out of the way. Rantaro almost looked disappointed, though Korekiyo couldn't determine why. 

"So you'd transfer colleges?"

He nodded. "Sister and I move around a lot. We were on our way to a different city until she got sick, so we're staying here until she's able to move around again. I took an interest in anthropology because of her."

"Did you?"

_Yes, and no._ That's what he wanted to say. Sister loves humans. For their weaknesses. "I'm afraid to cut this short but I do believe the lecture starts soon." 

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around, Korekiyo felt that same weariness he felt yesterday, though it wasn't as strong. Still, instead of wandering off on his own he stuck close to Rantaro, following him around like a duckling. A tall duckling. Korekiyo turned his head to see Tenko eating lunch with Himiko. Such strong energy coming from her. He snapped out of it and sat under one of the trees with Rantaro, which was a ways away from the pair. Rantaro cracked open a book, that looked to be a mythology book. 

"Might I ask what you're reading?" 

"Mythology book. Aren't you going to eat?"

"No. I do not wish to remove my mask, though I appreciate you asking."

"As long as you eat when you get home."

Kiyo nodded, though, truthfully he had no idea when the last time he ate was. Occasionally he'd snack on berries or some small creature he found down by the stream but he hadn't really eaten anything filling in a while. Humans were food, and talking to Rantaro, the thought almost disgusted him. He peered over the other boy's shoulder and looked at the contents of the book. _Kitsunes. Manipulative. Sly. Cruel. Beautiful._ Those were the words that stuck out to him. 

"I always loved learning about the mythical creatures of the world. Kitsunes always caught my interest. If they were real, they could be anyone. I'd sure as hell like to meet one, granted I wasn't on the menu," he chuckled. 

_You have met one,_ is what Korekiyo wanted to say. But it was too soon for that. Maybe in the future. But the more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself that saying anything at all would be 'too soon'. "I'd like to meet one, too." And that was all he wished to say about the matter. His eyes drifted back to Tenko. 

* * *

He had Rantaro's smell clinging to his clothes. Not that any human would notice, but his sister would. Korekiyo himself didn't mind. His scent was rather warm and inviting. It was almost like sandalwood but a bit earthier. It wasn't so much that he had excess physical contact with Rantaro, they'd just spent quite a bit of time together. The occasional bumping into each other in the hallways didn't help. The minute Korekiyo walked into their decaying home, he saw his sister standing by her door, holding onto the wall for support. 

"Who is he?"

He didn't respond. 

"Korekiyo," she hissed. 

"He just helps me find my way around." 

"You aren't friends, are you?"

"No."

He didn't consider Rantaro a friend. Just someone he could get along with. But what was the difference? Miyadera stared him down. "Come here."

He took a step forward. She looked disappointed and Korekiyo felt ashamed. 

"Come here," she repeated. "Do you love me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ick. Shitty chapter. It just gets worse from here btw. Also, Miyadera, I hate you, you disgusting cretin. Any and all constructive criticism/feedback is appreciated, much love.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korekiyo and Rantaro skip school to bond by the stream. Korekiyo goes hunting. *Warning* This is where the violence warning comes in.

They didn't go to school today. At first, Korekiyo thought he was crazy when Rantaro suggested they skip school to hang out. In fact, he practically begged. Rantaro's hyper (and adorable) begging eventually convinced him to agree. 

"Have you ever gone skinny dipping?"

Korekiyo could feel his cheeks heating up. "Yes, but I think it's too cold for that, Amami."

"Not to me. I love the cold!" he chuckled. "You don't?"

"No." 

He hadn't realized how much he opened up to Rantaro. Not that it was a bad thing, though. If it was just a trip to the stream to 'hang out', he didn't mind. They made their way to the back wall of the campus and Rantaro chucked his bag up and over the wall. This wasn't really necessary but Rantaro thought it'd be fun. Maybe he wasn't as innocent as Kiyo thought. He would have offered to help but it seemed the other boy was already crouched on top of the way with an hand extended. Korekiyo took the hand, pulling himself up with Rantaro's help and dropping down to the other side gracefully. The green-haired boy smiled and dropped down beside him, picking up his bag and making his way toward the stream. 

"Do you do this often?"

"What? Skip school or go to the stream?"

"Both."

The other boy smiled. "Yeah. I skip every now and again, as for the stream, I come often."

"Hopefully more often than you skip school."

"Not funny, Kiyo."

_Kiyo. Again with that nickname._

Once they reached the stream, Rantaro slung his bag down and picked up a handful of pebbles. Korekiyo perched himself on a rock, moving his hair out of the way so he could sit down without sitting on it. He watched, almost mesmerized by Rantaro throwing pebbles into the water. It wasn't so much that he was trying to skip stones, Rantaro just liked the plop sound. The air was damp and cool and relaxing. 

"Forgive me if this is a dumb question but what made you decide to grow your hair out?"

"My sister. I admire her."

"Sounds like you two are close," he smiled, tossing another pebble into the swirling water. 

"We are. Are you close with your siblings?"

Rantaro nodded. "We fight sometimes, though. But that's part of having siblings." 

_Do you love me?_ Those words rang in his head. He didn't know why but he wanted them to go away. Of course he loved her. Remembering her sickness, intrusive thoughts began invading his mind. What if he killed Rantaro right here and never went back to college? What if he stole his soul right now and ran off with it, leaving his body by the water? But what would his sisters think? Being told their brother died with no identifiable cause of death. Korekiyo would then lose his friend. His friend who actually wanted to talk to him. Spend time with him. And soon Korekiyo realized he liked doing human things. He liked feeling human. But sister would disapprove. 

"Tell me about your travels," he said. 

Rantaro thought for a moment. "I went to Italy because my father had business there. Had the time of my life. I spent a lot of time exploring historic places. Does Rome ring a bell?"

Korekiyo nodded. He peered over at the water. Staring back at him was a fox. The same color as his hair with a silver face that mocked the mask he was wearing. He wondered if Rantaro would be able to see the reflection as well, but he seemed preoccupied throwing stones in the water and talking about his travels. He pulled himself away from the water just in case. He looked back over at Rantaro, who was removing his shoes. He stood and walked into the cold water. 

"Amami, you are going to get sick."

"That's part of the fun." He reached into the water and pulled out a small round object. It was shiny but partially rusted so it might have been a coin or something. He grinned his dorky grin and made his way over to Korekiyo. The water was just a little higher than Rantaro's ankles so it's not like he had to remove his pants to get in the water. He gently grabbed Kiyo's hand and placed the object in his palm. "You like old stuff like this, right? Considering you study anthropology."

He looked at the small object. It was a coin. He couldn't determine the age or anything but the gift was appreciated nonetheless. "Thank you. But please get out of the water, it must be cold."

He could feel himself smiling behind his mask. Rantaro continued to look around in the water for a few moments more before heading back to the bank, flicking the small droplets of water on his fingers at Korekiyo. They were indeed cold but he understood this action to be playful. He thought quietly again before undoing the bandages around his fingers, just enough to scoop up a small amount of icy water and toss it at Rantaro, who squealed when it hit his arm. He chuckled and watched as Korekiyo wrapped his fingers once again. They were slender and his nails looked well cared for. _Reminiscent of claws._ Rantaro thought nothing of it, as many humans had well manicured nails. 

"Are you ready to head back before we get in trouble?" Rantaro asked. Kiyo nodded, standing from the rock and slipping the small coin into his shirt pocket. 

* * *

He told Miyadera he'd be home late tonight. Originally, he planned to follow Tenko back to her dorm but when he saw Himiko with her, he knew that'd be a bad idea. Tenko didn't really like him anyway. Part of him wondered if she could sense what was off with him. Her soul was perfect, so while tonight was a disappointment, Tenko could wait. Instead, he ended up following another female classmate. He knew she wasn't a friend of Rantaro's, so why would it matter if she went missing? He was caught between killing her for sister and sparing her because of his relationship with Rantaro. But when it came down to the block, Korekiyo had made up his mind and decided taking care of his sister was more important. She had, after all, requested that he bring home food. He knew what 'food' meant. 

He made his way over to the girl. In a flash, he'd dropped to his knees and rammed his shoulder into her body to push her down onto the sidewalk. Kiyo wasn't human anymore. Dazed, the girl tried grabbing around for her belongings until she saw him standing a few meters way. He was within about 12 feet of her, tail flickering behind him. She tried to scream but Korekiyo lunged at her, biting down on her neck with a loud crack. He saw no point in wasting time. He kept his jaws locked in place to drag her home. Blood dribbled from his lower jaw and onto the concrete. It was unavoidable but it's not like he could be arrested. He wasn't human. 

Still, Korekiyo made quick work of dragging the limp body home, careful to avoid people, despite it being dark. 

* * *

"I'm never going to get over it. The amount of blood outside was just... Gross." 

A student had found the mass amount of blood earlier this morning. After it was confirmed to belong to one of the younger girls, people started coming up with explanations or theories of what could have happened. The only one who knew the truth, however, was Korekiyo. 

_"Maybe she was abducted?"_

_"She was probably murdered."_

_"There was no body found."_

_"Who would do that to such a sweet girl?"_

No. Nobody knew the answer. Not the faculty. Not the students. Not Rantaro. And Korekiyo did his best to join them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to follow the logic of a movie called Yobi the Five-Tailed Fox. Basically, a soul is white, but it appears to be blue when the owner falls in love. Also this chapter includes a picture of kitsune!Kork.


	4. Not an actual chatper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not a chapter, moreso just other social media where you will be able to find content for this story.

Okay, Hi, I've decided I'm going to post media and maybe comic-type content for this fic on my Instagram and Tumblr. (Both are pretty sparse but I'll have some content up in the next two days)

Instagram&Tiktok: kukukorekiyo <https://www.instagram.com/kukukorekiyo/>

Tumblr: strawropeghost <https://www.tumblr.com/blog/strawropeghost>

Artstyle may vary due to the fact that I usually draw using my tablet, but the image in the last chapter was drawn on the phone. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rantaro prepares to meet Miyadera. Short chapter because it got deleted and I have no patience to rewrite it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to write a Halloween chapter but hated it, hence why this took so long. This is a timeskip two weeks after Kork killed that random girl because ya bitch is bad at character development.

Kiyo squeezed the warm hand he was holding. Rantaro had been following him for the past two miles. 

"You walk this far everyday?" 

Korekiyo nodded. He was carrying a bag of medications that Rantaro had given to him. Sister was going to be mad but she needed help. Perhaps she could be cured this way, he wouldn't need a soul. 

"You really live in these haunted woods?"

"Please do not judge my household when we get there. We have our... Reasons for living here."

"I wasn't even aware that there were houses out here."

"There aren't."

"Kiyo.. Are you homeless?"

He paused. He was homeless. But not unstable. They were perfectly fine here but he could hear the concern in Rantaro's voice. 

"Yes, and no. I live in an abandoned shrine, though that doesn't matter. We are stable and healthy, for the most part. Like I said, we'll be leaving soon after sister gets well."

In the past few weeks they'd spent together, Korekiyo had opened up a lot. He was more talkative, wouldn't hold back as much. He really didn't want to see Kiyo leave, but if that's what needed to happen, that's what needed to happen.

"If that's what makes you happy... Kiyo?"

"Yes?"

"What's your sister like?"


End file.
